October 4, 2010

Emily Wang – a beauty journalist from London – wrote an interesting article about various aspects of fingernails, including: beauty tips, a basic review of the nail structure, changes in nail color & texture, and… the meaning of fingernail types according traditional Chinese medicine!

A short impression from her article:

“Interestingly enough- according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, our nails are also able to portray our innate constitutions.

If your nail shape is naturally:

Oblong – You are harmonious and well-balanced.Stock and square – You are earthy and balanced but mentally rigid.Long – You are artistic and creative but lack physical strength.Oval – You are sensitive and have a weak digestive system.

I used to have artificial nails, acrylic nails and gel nails consistently for two years that I never got to see my natural nails until I decided to take them off for good. My nails became so weak that they felt and bended like paper. At some point they became sensitive to touch, and were unable to grow to a normal standard length before it eventually chipped away.

It therefore took a good year before they even came close to regaining to a healthy state. During this time I had to be mentally aware of what I ate, and made sure that I had substantial amount of vitamins and nutrients that were essential for healthy nail growth.

I am writing from experience. I know what it is like to have that moment where at the time, having fake nails is beautiful. Going to a nail salon, and getting your nails done feels like luxury.
But think about it. Can you really have fake nails for the rest of your life?

The answer is no. And that is why I had decided to be more natural and love my nails as they are. I have learnt to take really good care of my nails, and as my grandmother has always said to me – that “a woman’s fortune depends on her hands and feet.”

Not that I believe in it, but at least now my fingernails look and feel healthy- without needing to spend money doing it up

A little side note…. my younger sister had a “cheese on toast” addiction for a couple of months where she ate it for breakfast before going to school almost everyday. Luckily, because of our family genes, she did not gain any weight from it whatsoever, however we all noticed that her nails improved drastically. She is the only person I know that has the strongest, healthiest looking nails. Extremely envious! I don’t think I could eat cheese on toast everyday…… maybe jacket potatoes!

“We have found that fingernails cope remarkably well over a range of humidities – but it is best not to get them completely dry or wet. At an average of 55pc humidity, which is what you would experience normally, it appears nails have their optimum mechanical properties, and resist bending.”

“The mechanical properties of fingernails are important because of their impact in preventing damage and in maintaining their appearance. ‘In particular, knowing the effect of local environmental conditions can tell us how they might best be protected.”

The research team presented their work in a recent issue of The Journal of Biomechanics.

August 4, 2009

While the autopsy results related to Michael Jackson’s death are still unknown (which will likely be presented later this week), there are still many discussions about the state of Michael Jackson’s health – less than 2 weeks before his death his health was described by Dr. Tohme Tohme (a spokesman of Jackson) as: a ‘perfect health‘…?

Michael Jackson was diagnosed in 1986 with vitiligo and lupus. Lupus is known as a potentially lethal disease (heart disease is a major complication in lupus!), but in Michael Jackson it was described to be in remission. Nevertheless, one can wonder: can his fingernail problems be related to the vitiligo and/or the lupus? The answer appears to be a ‘no’:

Out of the 4 described fingernail disorders related to vitiligo and lupus, the 4th can be related to his hand deterioration that was observed in 2009. But none of these fingernail disorders can be related to the typical looks of Michael Jackson’s fingernails during the last 3 years of his life.

But one should not forget that Michael Jackson’s fingernail problems were first recognized by the media in 2006, when members of Michael Jackson’s family were terrified that his escalating dependence on prescription drugs had become a danger to his life.

While Michael Jackson’s lupus was considered to be in remission, one could also speculate that his hand deterioration + his sudden death might have signaled a lupus relapse … due to an excessive use of prescription drugs???